Corporate Elites and the Reform of Public Education

"Written by intellectual leaders in the sociology of education, this book reclaims the concept of the public in our educational system. A must read for our confusing and risky times." Dr. Carlos Alberto Torres, Distinguished Professor of Education and UNESCO UCLA Chair in Global Learning and Global Citizenship Education

Michael W. Apple is John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His research focuses on power, knowledge, and education.

Helen Gunter is Professor of Educational Policy in The Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, UK. Her research focuses on education policy and knowledge production.

David Hall is Professor of Education Policy and Practice in The Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, UK. His research focuses on the working lives of educational professionals.

Foreword ~ Professor Romuald Normand, University of Strasborg;

Introduction: Scoping corporate elites and public education ~ Helen M Gunter, Michael W Apple and David Hall;

Part 1: Corporatised governance: system perspectives;

Corporate elites and the student identity market ~ Patricia Burch, Andrew L. LaFave and Jahni M.A. Smith;

The corporate false promise of 'techno-utopia': the case of Amplify! ~ Kenneth J. Saltman;

Fighting for the local: Americans for Prosperity and the struggle for school boards ~ Eleni Schirmer and Michael W. Apple;

Axis of advantage: elites in higher education ~ Tanya Fitzgerald;

Corporate elites and higher education reform: the corporatisation of academic life in Indonesia ~ Nurdiana Gaus and David Hall;

Becoming a 'better' elite: the proliferation and discourses of educational travel programmes for elite youth ~ Kristin Sinclair and Katy Swalwell

Double standards: everyday corporate strategies at an elite school in Argentina ~ Howard Prosser;

(Re)producing elites: meritocracy, the state and the politics of the curriculum in Singapore ~ Leonel Lim;

Part 2: Corporatised governance: provision perspectives;

Fast-track leadership development programmes: the new micro-philanthropy of future elites ~ James R. Duggan;

Corporate consultancy practices in education services in England ~ Helen M. Gunter;

The business of governorship: corporate elitism in public education ~ Andrew Wilkins;

The courtier’s empire: a case study of providers and provision ~ Steven J. Courtney;

Political and corporate elites and localised educational policy-making: the case of Kingswood Academy ~ Ruth McGinity;

The usual suspects? Free schools in England and the influence of corporate elites ~ Rob Higham;

When students 'speak back': challenging elite approaches to teaching, learning and education policy ~ John Smyth;

Conclusion: The challenge of corporate elites and public education ~ Helen M Gunter, Michael W Apple and David Hall.